Book Review – The Kingdom At The Centre Of The World – Journeys Into Bhutan – Omair Ahmad

Bhutan, for me was just a neighbouring country before I finished reading this book. I never really knew that there could be so much about a country that the world deserves to know. Bhutan as said in the blurb of the book as well is the most isolated country of the world. No one really cares about what is going on in there.

Omair Ahmad’s book about Bhutan is a valuable addition to the insignificant amount of literature based on the country. His way of storytelling is something that keeps you hooked to the book and revolves around history, politics, mythology and the scope of travelling in the country.

The constant change this breathtakingly beautiful country is facing is something that is too much to handle for them. With TVs being introduced in the 1990s to them followed by various other utilities, the country has been dealing with a constant exponential change and for good. With neighbours like India and China, Bhutan holds an extremely strategic geographical position for both the countries.

Omair has also made it a point that he doesn’t go haywire while writing this book. Every line written in this book has been put together with extreme care and precision in a methodological way. Right from the monarchs till the first democratic elections that held in the country to the changes that followed, about the people and the culture, their heritage and everything that this country has got to offer, the author has summed it all up.

On his 4×4 Mahindra Thar, cruising through one of the most beautiful countries that Omair has seen, he has also focussed on the current problems that the country is facing. The “Nepali” issue, the globalisation affecting the country and many other such things which are posing as a constant threat to the growth of this country. It took him years to write this book and the hard work reflects when you read this one.

In some 230 pages and 20 chapters, Omair Ahmad has tried his best to show the isolated country of Bhutan to the world. The language is simple and as you go into the book, it just gets better. Each chapter of the book opens a new facet of Bhutan for the reader. All those who wish to travel to the this country and who are interested in knowing what all Bhutan has got to offer, this book has definitely got some strong information in its page for you.